Among all the methods and approaches to language teaching there is one that may not have a strong basis on its Theory of Language but an excellent background on its Theory of Learning, the Natural Approach, based on the principles of the Theory of Language Acquisition proposed by Stephen Krashen.

1. Alexis Martínez-Ramírez

2. Background
Tracy Dale Terrel
 Spanish Teacher in California
 1977 “A proposal for a ‘new’
philosophy of language
teaching called the Natural
Approach”
 Attemp to incorporate the
‘naturalistic’ principles
identified in L2 Acquisition

3. Stephen Krashen
 Applied linguist at the University of
Southern California.
 They both elaborated a Theoretical Rationale for the
Natural Approach.
 Krashen’s influential theory of L2 acquisition.
 The Natural Approach: Language
acquisition in the classroom (1983).

4.  Book, two parts:
 Theoretical sections by Krashe on L2Acq
 Sections on implementation and classroom procedures by Terrell

5.  Natural Approach as a Traditional Approach
 “based on the use of languages in communicative
situations without recourse to the native language”
 Therefore, with no reference to grammar analysis,
grammatical drilling, or to a particular theory of
grammar.
 “Such approaches have been called
natural, psychological, phonetic,
new, reform, direct, analytic,
imitative and so forth”.

6.  Natural Approach ≠ Natural Method
 “Natural” in the Direct Method:
 Emphasized the principles of naturalistic language learning in
young children.
 Similarly, the NA is believed to conform to the naturalistic
principles found in succesful second language acquisition.
 However, it places less emphasis on T monologues, direct
repetition, and formal questions and answers, and less focus
on accurate production of target language sentences..

7.  In the Natural Approach there is an
emphasis on:
 Exposure , or input, rather than practice,
 Optimizing emotional preparedness for
learning,
 A prolonged period of attention to what
the language learners hear before they try
to produce language and,
 A willingness to use written and other
materials as a source of comprehensible
input.
 The Natual Approach is one of the
Comprehension-based Approaches

8. Approach
Theory of Language
 “The essence of languages is meaning. Vocabulary,
not grammar, is the heart of language.” (Brown, 2007)
 Krashen & Terrell → Communication, as primary
function of language.
 So the Natural Approach, is a Communicative Approach.
 And they were against earlier methods that had focused
on grammar.
 Because they were built not around “actual theories of
language acquisition, but on theories of something else,
e.g. the structure of language” (Krashen & Terrell, 1983).

9.  CLT ≠ NA little attention to a Theory of Language.
 In a recent critic they are said not to have a theory of language.
 Their emphasis on vocabulary may suggest a view of
languages as its lexicon and the grammar the way to exploit it
to produce messages.
 The quantity of information in the lexicon far outweighs that in any
other part of the language, and if there is anything to the notion of
redundancy it should be easier to reconstruct a message containing
just words than one containing just the syntactic relations. The
significant fact is the subordinate role of grammar. The most
important thing is to get the words in. (Bolinger, in Terrell, 1977)

10.  Language is a vehicle for communicating meanings
and messages.
 “Acquisition can take place only when people
understand messages in the target language”
(Krashen & Terrell, 1983)
 The NA assumes linguistic hierarchy of structural
complexity that on masters through encounters
with “input” containing structures at the “I+1”
level.
 Lexical items in messages are necessarily
grammatically structured, and more complex
messages involve more complex grammatical
structure.
 But there is no need for teachers, learners nor
language teaching materials to pay attention to
grammatical structures.

11. Theory of Learning
 Krashen’s Language Acquisition Theory
 The NA “is based on an empirically grounded theory of second language
acquisition, which has been supported by a large number of scientific
studies in a wide variety of language acquisition and learning contexts”
(Krashen & Terrell, 1983).
The Acqusition/Learning Hypothesis
 Acquisition: The ‘natural’ unconscious process to language
proficiency through meaningful communication.
 Learning: Conscious process in which language rules are developed
through formal teaching and correction of errors.
 Therefore, Learning cannot lead to Acquisition.

12. The Monitor Hypothesis
 Conscious learning can function only as a monitor or editor
that checks and repairs the output of the acquired system.
 Limits to success:
 Time. There must be sufficient time for a learner to choose
and apply a learned rule.
 Focus on form. The language user must be focused on
correctness or on the form of the output.
 Knowledge of rules. The performer must know the rules. The
monitor does best with rules that are simple in two ways. They
must be simple [0 describe and they must not require complex
movements and rearrangements.

13. The Natural Order Hypothesis
 The acquisition of grammatical structures proceeds in a predictable
order.
 Research has shown a certain order in first language acquisition of
English, and a similar natural order is found in second language
acquisition.
 Errors are signs of naturalistic
developmental processes.

14. The Input Hypothesis
 It explains the relationship between what the learner is exposed to of a
language (the input) and language acquisition.
 The hypothesis relates to acquisition, and not to learning.
 People acquire language best by understanding input that is slightly beyond
their current level of competence “by understanding language containing I + 1”
(Krashen & Terrell, 1983).
 Clues based on the situation and the context, extralinguistic in formation, and
knowledge of the world make comprehension possible.
 The ability to speak fluently cannot be taught directly; it "emerges"
independently in time, after the acquirer has built up linguistic competence by
understanding input.
 If there is a sufficient quantity of comprehensible input, I+1 will usually be
provided automatically. Comprehensible input refers to utterances that the
learner understands based on the context in which they are used.
 Input need not to be tuned to a learner’s current level of linguistic competence
and in fact cannot be so finely tuned in a language class, where learners will be
at many different levels of competence.

15. The Affective Filter Hypothesis
 Krashen sees the learner's emotional state or attitudes as an adjustable filter
that freely passes, impedes, or blocks input necessary to acquisition.
 Motivation. Learners with high motivation generally do better.
 Self-confidence. Learners with self-confidence and a good self-image tend to be
more successful.
 Anxiety. Low personal anxiety and low classroom anxiety are more
conducive to second language acquisition.
 Acquirers with a low affective filter seek and receive more input, interact with
confidence, and are more receptive to the input they receive.
 The affective filter is said to rise in early adolescence, and this may account for
children's apparent superiority to older acquirers of a second language.

16. Implications of these hypotheses
 As much comprehensible input as possible must he
presented.
 Whatever helps comprehension is important. Visual aids
are useful, as is exposure to a wide range of vocabulary
rather than study of syntactic structure.
 The focus in the classroom should be on listening and
reading; speaking should be allowed to "emerge.“

 In order to lower the affective filter, student work should
center on meaningful communication rather than on form;
input should be interesting and so contribute to a relaxed
classroom atmosphere.

17. Design
Objectives
 The Natural Approach "is for beginners and is designed to help them become
intermediates“ in communicative skills.
 Specific objectives depend upon learner needs and the skill (reading, writing,
listening, or speaking) and level being taught.
 Krashen and Terrell feel it is important to communicate to learners what they can
expect of a course as well as what they should not expect.
 “After 100-150 hours of Natural Approach Spanish, you will be able to: "get around" in
Spanish; you will be able to communicate with a monolingual native speaker of
Spanish without difficulty; read most ordinary texts in Spanish with some use of a
dictionary; know enough Spanish to continue to improve on your own.

After 100- 150 hours of Natural Approach Spanish you will not be able to: pass for a
native speaker, use Spanish as easily as you use English, understand native speakers
when they talk to each other; use Spanish on the telephone with great comfort;
participate easily in a conversation with several other native speakers on unfamiliar
topics.” (Krashen & Terrell, 1983)

18. The syllabus
 Based on selection of
communicative activities and
topics derived from learner needs.
 Krashen and Terrell (1983)
classified in four areas those goals
in language courses that are
aimed by the Natural Approach.
 The NA is primarily “designed to
develop basic communication
skills – both oral and written”
 On the other side, it holds that
“the purpose of a language course
will vary according to the needs of
the students and their particular
interests”.

19.  “The purpose of a language course will vary according to the
needs of the students and their particular interests“ (Krashen &
Terrell, 1983)
 “We do not expect the students at the end of a particular course
to have acquired a certain group of structures or forms. Instead
we expect them to deal with a particular set of topics in a given
situation.”
 It is difficult to specify communicative goals that necessarily fit
the needs of all students.
 Any list of topics and situations must be understood as syllabus
suggestions rather than as specifications.

20.  Input is provided "over a wider variety of topics while
pursuing communicative goals, the necessary
grammatical structures are automatically provided in
the input”
 Krashen & Terrell, 1983

21. Types of Learning and Teaching Activities
 “Activities allowing comprehensible input, about
things in the here-and-now. Focus on meaning, not
form” (Brown, 2007).
 From the beginning, emphasis is on presenting
comprehensible input in the target language.
 E.g. objects in the classroom and the content of pictures.
 Learners are not required to speak until they feel
ready, but they are expected to respond to teacher
commands and questions in other ways.

22.  The teacher talks slowly and distinctly, asking
questions and eliciting one-word answers.
 "Acquisition activities" → Those that focus on
meaningful communication rather than language
form.
 Pair or group work may be employed, followed by
whole-class discussion led by the teacher.

23.  Techniques recommended by Krashen and Terrell are
often borrowed from other methods and adapted to
meet the requirements of Natural Approach theory.
 Total Physical Response, command-based activities
 Direct Method, activities in which mime, gesture, and
context are used to elicit questions and answers; and
even situation-based practice of structures and patterns.
 Communicative Language Teaching, Group-work
activities

24. Learning Roles
 “They should not try to learn the usual sense, but
should try to lose themselves in activities involving
meaningful communication” (Brown, 2007).
 The language acquirer is seen as a processor of
comprehensible input.
 Learners' roles are seen to change according to their
stage of linguistic development.

25.  Pre-Production Stage: Students "participate in the
language activity without having to respond in the target
language" (Krashen and Terrell 1983: 76). (e.g. they can act
out physical commands, point to pictures, and so forth.)
 Early-Production Stage, students respond to either-or
questions, use single words and short phrases, fill in charts,
and use fixed conversational patterns (e.g., How are you?
What's your name?).
 Speech-Emergent Phase, students involve themselves in
role play and games, contribute personal information and
opinions, and participate in group problem solving.

26. Learners’ Four Responsibilities
 Provide information about their specific goals so that acquisition
activities can focus on the topics and situations most relevant to
their needs.
 Take an active role in ensuring comprehensible input. They
should learn and use conversational management techniques to
regulate input.
 Decide when to start producing speech and when to upgrade it.
 Where learning exercises (i.e. grammar study) are to be a part of
the program, decide with the teacher the relative amount of time
to be devoted to them and perhaps even complete and correct
them independently.

27. Teacher Roles
 “The teacher is the primary source of comprehensible input.
Must create positive low-anxiety climate. Must choose and
orchestrate a rich mixture of classroom activities” (Brown, 2007).
 Source: The teacher is the generator of a constant flow of
language input.
 Environmenter: The teacher creates a classroom atmosphere
that is interesting, friendly, and in which there is a low affective
filter for learning.
 Director: The teacher is seen as responsible for collecting
materials and designing their use, based not just on teacher
perceptions but on elicited student needs and interests.

28. The Role of Instructional Material
 “Materials come from realia rather than from
textbooks. Primary aim is to promote comprehension
and communication” (Brown, 2007).
 They make classroom activities as meaningful as
possible by supplying "the extra- linguistic context
that helps the acquirer to understand and thereby to
acquire“
 Pictures and other visual aids facilitate the acquisition
of a large vocabulary within the classroom.

29.  Recommended materials include schedules,
brochures, advertisements, maps, and graded books.
 Games, in general, are seen as useful classroom
materials since …
 "games by their very nature, focus the student on what it
is they are doing and use the language as a tool for
reaching the goal rather than as a goal in itself “.

30. Video

31. Conclusions
 The Natural Approach belongs to a tradition of language
teaching methods based on observation and interpretation
of how learners acquire both first and second languages in
non formal settings.
 Such methods reject the formal (grammatical)
organization of language as a prerequisite to teaching.
 A focus on comprehension and meaningful
communication as well as the provision of the right kinds
of comprehensible input provide the necessary and
sufficient conditions for successful classroom second and
foreign language acquisition.

32.  The Natural Approach is hence evolutionary rather
than revolutionary in its procedures.
 Its greatest claim to originality lies in its use as a
method that emphasizes comprehensible and
meaningful practice activities, rather than production
of grammatically perfect utterances and sentences.

33. Bibliography
 Brown, H.D. (2007). Teaching by Principles: An Interactive
Approach to Language Teaching. USA: Pearson Longman.
 Krashen, S.D. & Terrell, T.D. (1983). The Natural Approach:
Language Acquisition in the Classroom. Oxford: Pergamon.
 Lightbown, P.M. (2006). How Languages are Learned. China:
Oxford University Press.
 Richards, J.C. & Rodgers, T.S. (1997) Approaches and Methods
in Language Teaching: A description and analysis. USA:
Cambridge University Press